Landmark Utilities and Site Excavation

DANVERS COMPANY CARVES ITS NICHE WITH PACKAGES

November 06, 2017

Komatsu CARE, KOMTRAX and excellent terms from Komatsu Financial

At a young age, Kevin Clark had two clear
goals: He wanted to work in construction and be
his own boss. Before he even walked across the
stage to accept his high school diploma, he was
already accomplishing both, completing jobs and
creating a name for himself.

“I knew early on that I wanted to own
a construction business, so I started one,”
stated Clark.

In 1984, Clark opened Landmark Utilities &
Site Excavation Corp. and quickly focused on
golf course jobs. In the 33 years that followed,
the Danvers, Mass., company evolved into a
multi-faceted operation with 40 employees that
completes $12 to $15 million of work annually.

“Today, we perform utility installation, site
excavation and deep foundation support,”
explained Clark, who is President of the firm.
“Our breakdown is evenly split between
commercial and large residential projects such as
condominium construction in the greater Boston
area. We like a challenge; we don’t get bored that
way. We show up everyday and get to it.”

Valuable package

While Landmark Utilities & Site Excavation
can deliver across multiple applications,
its diversity is further enhanced when it
collaborates with sister company, Landmark
Utility and Concrete. Clark started the 25-person
concrete company with business partner
Michael Barry five years ago. It’s a combination
they look to deploy as often as possible.

“The ability to offer customers a package
that includes deep earth support, excavation
and concrete helps us stand out,” he continued.
“The contractors we work for appreciate it.
These are unique services, and we offer them all
with one contact.”

The synergy between the two firms has
proven to be beneficial on large condominium
projects. Landmark has played a role in creating
a 12-story luxury apartment complex in Boston,
separate 50- and 210-unit condos in South
Boston and a 250-unit apartment building
in Charlestown.

It recently completed a 250-unit development
for the Boston Housing Authority in East
Boston. Landmark removed, treated and sent
10,000 yards of contaminated soil to licensed
landfills. It also performed all of the street
work, sidewalks, curbing and foundation,
plus it installed 3,000 feet of water, sewer and
drainage pipe.

Clark credits the company’s success with these
assignments to the synergy of the partnership.
“Having the excavation and concrete together
makes everything better,” he declared. “Roughly
90 percent of the time we work alongside
Landmark Concrete. Adding that division has
quadrupled our gross revenue.”

Total dedication

As Landmark has expanded, so has its fleet.
To facilitate that growth, Clark trusts C.N. Wood
and Sales Rep Kerry Causer (K.C.).

“I’ve been with them for 20 years,” shared
Clark. “They are good people. Whenever I’ve
needed something, K.C. takes care of me.”

Landmark turns to C.N. Wood for Komatsu
excavators. Its fleet includes several of the
machines, ranging in size from mini-excavators
to a PC360LC. Its most recent addition was a pair
of PC228USLC tight-tail-swing excavators.

“Here in the city, we are always in tight
spaces,” said Clark. “With the PC228, we don’t
worry about a large counterweight in the back
end running into things or blocking traffic. They
get the job done for us.”

Another reason Landmark trusts C.N. Wood
and Komatsu is the advanced services that they
offer, like complimentary maintenance through
Komatsu CARE, machine monitoring telematics
via KOMTRAX and excellent terms from
Komatsu Financial.

“With Komatsu CARE and KOMTRAX, our
equipment retains its value because we are
getting great service, and we have a log showing
everything from a machine’s entire life,” Clark
said. “Komatsu Financial has also been an
advantage for us. To get zero percent financing is
a huge bonus.”

The Landmark fleet includes a PC210LC
excavator as well as a trio of Komatsu WA380
wheel loaders. Clark also relies on C.N. Wood for
rental machines as needed.

Employee connection

Going to a jobsite and taking an active role is
what drove Clark to start Landmark, and that
hasn’t changed throughout the years.

“I can’t sit in an office or drive around in a
truck all day, I want to be part of the action,” he
admitted. “I’ll jump in a machine, grab a shovel or
bolt pipes. I can’t expect my crews to do something
that I wouldn’t do. The people here are the reason
that I get up every morning. They’re more than
employees; they’re my friends.”

Clark credits his office staff for making it
possible for him to spend so much time at jobsites.
His wife, Ellen Clark, is office support for the
company, and estimators Chris Gobbiele – his
nephew – and Justin Resse handle the intricacies of
the office.

“They do the real dirty work for us,” joked
Clark. “They handle all of the paper work, which is
astronomical. They do a great job, and it keeps me
out of the office.”

Clark, now 55 years old, is planning his exit
strategy, which includes Barry and Gobbiele taking
over and leading Landmark into its next chapter.

“It’ll be up to them to take the reins; make it
bigger and better,” he said. “They’re young, but
they are good at what they do, and they love it. I’m
sure they’ll do well.”